


Wouldn't trade this for anything

by Qwerty1



Series: The Rose Tyler adventures [9]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 23:50:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10502040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qwerty1/pseuds/Qwerty1
Summary: A comment someone made at Torchwood gives the Doctor reason to doubt Rose's feelings for him.





	

Stopping on her way out of her office, Rose sighs.   
“What is it, love?” the Doctor asks.  
“Not much, just forgot my bag. I’ll go get it, wait for me yeah?”  
“Of course”, he promises. 

While Rose turns around to locate her bag, he slowly starts making his way down the corridor. It’s very quiet this late a friday night, but the two of them are still not the last ones to leave the building. He can hear voices coming from the small kitchen, and he automatically finds himself walking closer and listening. It’s very rude to eavesdrop, he knows that. He was going to keep walking to the elevators, he was just a little curious. He kind of have to stay and listen when he hears the love of his lifes’ name being mentioned. 

“You know, I can’t help but feel a little sorry that blonde”, one of them says.   
“Rose? And I know she’s not the prettiest face here, but it could be worse.”  
The person who spoke first laughs.   
“I don’t mean her looks! I mean her… What should we even call him?”  
“You mean the Doctor? He’s kind of hot if you ask me!” a high pitched female voice joins the conversation.  
“Yes, but is he even the Doctor…?”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“Didn’t you hear her story? Apparently the real Doctor left her here with that… Whatever he is. She went through so much trouble to get back to him and he didn’t even want her!”  
“Are you serious?”  
“The poor girl...”

The Doctor’s heart is beating hard and fast in his chest. He holds his breath. That can’t be the truth! Right? He knows himself better than anyone, and the other him would never leave Rose if it wasn’t for her best. Now he doesn’t have to watch her die while he lives for an eternity. That has to be a good thing. 

But the discussion in the kitchen is not over yet.   
“How does she even cope? I mean… If the one I loved left me with nothing but a cheap copy of himself, I think I would’ve gone mad.”  
“Who says she’s coping? The other day I saw her down in the basement. I could be wrong, but it did look like she was trying to fix the Dimension Cannon.”  
“Again? But, that won’t work!”  
“I don’t know. After all, hope is the last thing that leaves a person...”

“You ready to go?”  
The Doctor spins around as the voice reaches his ears. He finds himself face to face with Rose, that smile he loves so much on her face. She throws her bag over her shoulder, offering him her hand with an inviting wiggle of her fingers. He takes her hand in his and they head home for the week. 

He tries not to think about the lump of anxiety and sadness in his chest.

 

Just like every friday night for the last few months, they spend this one cuddled close in front of the telly. It was originally Rose’s idea to watch the reality show about people claiming to have been kidnapped by or seen aliens. Complete nutters all of them, of course. Still, it’s the perfect entertainment a friday night: they use to compete over who can make the funniest comment to the often very unlikely and exaggerated cases. 

Now it’s twenty minutes into the show and the Doctor hasn’t said a word. 

If he was a normal human bloke, Rose probably would’ve assumed he’s just tired. But he’s no normal human bloke, he’s a half alien. Almost constantly full of energy. Conclusion: something must be wrong. 

Rose decides to bring the subject up carefully, disguised as a ordinary question:  
“So, how was your day?”  
“You know how my day was, you spent it with me”, the Doctor replies sharply.   
“Yes, but… Doctor, is something wrong?”  
He never replies to that. Now honestly concerned, Rose grabs the remote from the table and turns off the program. She turns so she can look at him without bending her neck. 

“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”  
No response.   
“Doctor?”  
He sighs. It’s a long, deep, sad sigh.   
“You don’t want me here, do you?” he breaths out.   
“What do you mean? Yes, it is nice to get some time for myself a friday night, but I also love spending it with you!”  
“No. I mean here as in here in this universe.”  
“Why wouldn’t I want you here!?” Rose exclaims, alarmed.   
He runs his hands over his face, groaning. She reaches out a hand to automatically stroke his arm in comfort, but hesitates with the hand hovering in the air. That’s when it happens: he moves away from her, pressing himself against the armrest on the opposite side of the couch. 

That simple movement is enough to almost make Rose cry, but she closes her eyes and forces the tears to stay behind her eyelids.   
“Why wouldn’t I want you here?” she asks again, softer this time.   
Her eyes are still closed, so she can’t see the Doctor’s reaction. She can hear it, though: he exhales deeply, like he always does when the answer to a question should be perfectly obvious.   
“I don’t know, really. It might be because you start realizing something’s wrong when your colleagues say they feel sorry for your girlfriend because she’s dating you!”

His voice has grown louder as he spoke, going from a shaky whisper to almost shouting. Rose opens her eyes again. His hands are in his hair and he’s actually shaking. She opens her mouth, wanting to say something but having no idea what. The sudden, overwhelming urge to rip the head of whoever made him think she doesn’t love him is almost scary. Still, there’s another emotion taking over: concern. It’s sort of normal to feel that when your boyfriend is having something close to a panic attack right in front of you. 

Rose slowly reaches out, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He freezes.   
“Doctor? Will you please look at me?” she whispers.   
He silently follows her request, looking at her with tears shining in his eyes. That makes her heart hurt. She moves her hand to his cheek, running her fingertips over the skin.   
“It was those new recruits, wasn’t it?” she asks, still whispering.   
He nods.   
“I thought so, cause they don’t know anything. They’ve only heard rumors and stuff, not the truth. And the truth is that I love you. Very much. You must know that. Right?”  
There are tears running down his cheeks now. He’s not really shaking anymore, but he is crying. Rose doesn’t hesitate anymore: she leans forward and wraps him in her arms, hugging him close. The sobs shake his body. She runs her hand over his back in small, comforting circles. 

He eventually calms down, looking up at her with big and sad eyes. Rose runs her free hand through his hair, smiling softly.   
“Better?” she asks hopefully.   
He nods, leaning up to kiss her. She kisses back, the kiss full of love and all the things she can’t really say out loud. 

“I love you”, she gasps out when they finally pull away.   
“Love you more”, he whispers into her ear, kissing the skin right below it. 

 

Next monday in the cafeteria, Rose makes sure to grab the Doctor and kiss him in front of everyone.


End file.
